Searching for Sky by Jillian Cantor: Review

Title: Searching for Sky

Author: Jillian Cantor

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens

Publication Date: May 13, 2014

Source: Netgalley

From Goodreads:

Sky and River have always lived on Island, the only world they’ve ever known. Until the day River spots a boat. Across Ocean, in a place called California, Sky is separated from River and forced to live with a grandmother she’s just met. Here the rules for survival are different. People rely on strange things like cars and cell phones. They keep secrets from one another. And without River, nothing makes sense. Sky yearns for her old life where she was strong and capable, not lost and confused. She must find River so they can return to Island, but the truth behind how they ended up there in the first place will come as the biggest shock of all.

 

This type of book is a tricky one to write. Every one of us sees the world as it is. If you are part of my generation and younger ones then you’ve never lived without a cell phone in your hand or a computer to use. I’ve never lived a life without cars or electricity or modern amenities. I’ve never lived a life where I didn’t go to school. I’ve never had to life off of the land or life on my own. So it’s really hard for me to imagine how someone who has never known any of this can see the world and obviously it was also hard for Jillian Cantor. This was a tricky book and while it had heart it didn’t quite get the end result that she (probably) wanted.

The protagonist, Sky/Megan, seems very ignorant and not just because she didn’t grow up in this world. I blame this on the fact that her entire life she has been taught to only know the things that she needs to know and never more. She has been taught to never question, to live life on strict routine. Never stray from the routine or break any of the strict rules that Helmut has put forth before them. Basically don’t use your mind. River on the other hand is referenced as a dreamer throughout the book. He questions everything, thinks of things bigger than himself, and is not afraid to be defiant.

Because of his ability to process things and question and understand the world better than Sky, it was River who should have adapted better to this new world of California, but instead it was Sky who thrived. I understand that this was because she had a “team of professionals” to help her, but even at the end of the book there was hardly any growth from River and that was disappointing.

One of the things that made this book so tricky was trying to figure out how people who have never been in modern society. I found it hard to believe that Petal and Helmut (the parents on Island) never called the rocks leading down or up, “steps”. Or that they never said any words, like “awesome” or “sucks” or whatever the equivalent would have been before they left California. It just doesn’t seem realistic to me that Sky would only know a few words. It’s strange that she would call a light the “sun”. She should have been smart enough to know that the sun emits light. She would have known the word light; therefore she should have known that a “light” on the ceiling was not the sun, but rather something that emitted light. Even if she didn’t know what electricity was she would have known the word light.

I have read other book very similar to this one and yet those other books surpassed this was by far. Like I’ve said, this is a tricky subject to write. A tricky point of view to write from and unfortunately for Cantor it just didn’t come out like she was hoping it would.

Review - House of Ivy & Sorrow by Natalie Whipple

by Natalie Whipple
publisher: HarperTeen
date of publication: April 15, 2014
format: eGalley
pages: 352
source: Edelweiss
buy it: House of Ivy & Sorrow

From Goodreads:

Josephine Hemlock has spent the last 10 years hiding from the Curse that killed her mother. But when a mysterious man arrives at her ivy-covered, magic-fortified home, it’s clear her mother’s killer has finally come to destroy the rest of the Hemlock bloodline. Before Jo can even think about fighting back, she must figure out who she’s fighting in the first place. The more truth Jo uncovers, the deeper she falls into witchcraft darker than she ever imagined. Trapped and running out of time, she begins to wonder if the very Curse that killed her mother is the only way to save everyone she loves.

House of Ivy & Sorrow took some serious thought when it came to rating it.  There were elements I did like, elements I didn't like, and elements I didn't quite know what to make of.  There were times that it was deliciously creepy, and times when it was just too cutesy for words.  Where does that leave me?  So far as I can tell, I'm thoroughly on the fence about this one, which is a very bewildering place to be, much like opening one door and finding yourself somewhere you didn't expect to be (you'll see what I did there).

Josephine Hemlock is no ordinary teenager.  Her grandmother, known as an entomologist to the citizens of their small town, is in fact a talented witch and the head of the Hemlock witch family.  Orphaned by the death of her mother at age 7, Josephine has been learning everything from her eccentric grandmother and is proving to be quite the talent, herself.  You may think that with how seriously she regards her abilities she wouldn't have time for mooning over some guy.  Well, dear reader, you would be wrong.  Here is exactly where the super cutesy aspect of the story I mentioned comes into play.  I read a lot of YA since that's mostly what I review.  That's not to say I'm against some romance.  When I feel as though I'm reading about a 13 year old rather than a 17 year old, as Josephine is portrayed, it's a problem.  You don't want to read bits of "romance" that make you roll your eyes rather than sigh wistfully.

Much of the plot was preferable to me over the characters.  The ways in which magic are presented are different than your average witch story.  Rather than being dark and light, all magic is said to come from the dark.  It is a witch's level of control that dictates what "side" they are on, so to speak.  To completely give in to the darkness is to be Consumed, at which point a witch is virtually eaten alive by the power and becomes a power mad, evil being.  This concept is certainly an inventive one and made the magical aspects of the book more interesting.  There were, however, issues that bothered me to no end.  One such issue is continuity.  There comes a point when the Hemlock's are in need of an ancestor's journal (here called "history").  There is much talk of how important it is that they find her long lost house and, subsequently, her history.  However, at some point along the way it is apparently no longer imperative and it ceases to be mentioned.  At all.  What happened to it?  Wouldn't it still be a good idea to have it?  Why mention it at all if you're just going to forget it exists?  So many questions.

Overall, House of Ivy & Sorrow was a fun way to pass the time.  I don't know that I would necessarily want to read a follow-up, but for what it is, I enjoyed it.  If you're more plot driven, you might find this one enjoyable thanks to the different descriptions of magic, the setting (a truly intriguing one with its magical doors and enchantments), and the conflict.  If you can overlook the overly cutesy parts of the romance, definitely try it out.  Otherwise, proceed with caution.  I almost gave up on it, but in the end I'm glad I stuck it out.

Review - Ironskin by Tina Connolly

by Tina Connolly
publisher: Tor
date of publication: October 2, 2012
format: hardcover
pages: 304
source: publisher
series: Ironskin

From Goodreads:

Jane Eliot wears an iron mask.

It’s the only way to contain the fey curse that scars her cheek. The Great War is five years gone, but its scattered victims remain—the ironskin.

When a carefully worded listing appears for a governess to assist with a "delicate situation"—a child born during the Great War—Jane is certain the child is fey-cursed, and that she can help.

Teaching the unruly Dorie to suppress her curse is hard enough; she certainly didn’t expect to fall for the girl’s father, the enigmatic artist Edward Rochart. But her blossoming crush is stifled by her own scars, and by his parade of women. Ugly women, who enter his closed studio...and come out as beautiful as the fey.

Jane knows Rochart cannot love her, just as she knows that she must wear iron for the rest of her life. But what if neither of these things is true? Step by step Jane unlocks the secrets of her new life—and discovers just how far she will go to become whole again.

Anyone who knows me knows that I have long been fascinated by tales of faeries and mythological creatures.  Those same people will also know that Jane Eyre is one of my favorite books of all time.  When I learned of Ironskin and that it combines two of my favorite literary things, I knew I just had to get my hands on it.  Jane Eyre retold with the twist of faeries?  What could be better?  While I did see many of the elements that gave evidence to its characteristics as a Jane Eyre variation, Ironskin didn't quite turn out as I had thought it would.  It also didn't have as much of the steampunk element as I would have liked.  While it succeeded with an eerie plot surrounding the nature and dangers of faeries in the world the story is set in, Ironskin's incorporation of the story of Jane Eyre left a lot to be desired and proved to be my least favorite element of the book.

When compared to the basis of her inspiration, Jane Eliot is, at first, nearly unrecognizable as a version of Jane Eyre.  In fact, I would hazard to say that the only consistent characteristic the two share is their initials.  Where Jane Eyre is a young woman who deals with the traumatic nature of her past with a reserved nature and no-nonsense personality, Jane Eliot's personality is supposedly comprised largely of rage enhanced by a fae curse.  You will notice I say "supposedly," for Jane Eliot struck me more as an irritable character than an enraged one.  Even during descriptions of her rage burning hot behind her mask, her thoughts were more along the lines of being perturbed.  She wound up being less believable as a character because of it and I just couldn't connect with her at all due to the number of inconsistencies.  Edward Rochart is more recognizable as a counterpart of Edward Rochester, complete with eccentricities and sardonic sense of humor.  His presence in the story, however, was too little to distract from Jane's flaws as a character.  Instead, I found myself more fascinated by the butler (at least, I suppose that is what you would call her) that answered the door upon Jane's arrival than by the other two (precisely why I won't say, as that would be a spoiler, but there is more than meets the eye with her).  Character-wise, Ironskin just didn't capture my complete interest and I found myself wanting for some truly engaging protagonists.

The world-building is the one area that I truly found myself intrigued by.  There is just enough of the Gothic present to provide the settings with that sense of foreboding one would expect of a story about a world brought to the bring of destruction by homicidal faeries with horrific methods of warfare.  From Mr. Rochart's manor home to the dark wood just at its boundaries, there is a distinct sense of danger around every corner, which makes for the perfect setting to read about in a story such as this.  The woods themselves had enough presence to become a character in its own right, which always makes for some entertaining reading.  My only complaint is that they weren't incorporated into the story more than they were.  I think I would have enjoyed Ironskin even more if that were the case.

Though Ironskin fell short in its capacity as a re-telling of Jane Eyre, it still proved to have many entertaining qualities.  My best advice would be to approach this book as though it had nothing to do with Jane Eyre.  If you've read Jane Eyre as many times as I have this tactic may not work, but you might find yourself enjoying the story more.  This is where reading variations and re-tellings proves challenging, for if they veer too far from the original, it is very easy to become hung up on all those little details.  However, I can say that Ironskin still has much to recommend it.  Its world-building is fantastic and the background concerning faeries is truly eerie and, at times, frightening.  If you enjoy novels involving faeries, Ironskin is worth checking out.  If you are more interested in its qualities as a Jane Eyre variation or re-telling, however, proceed with caution.  It pays to be more open-minded.

Buy Ironskin at the Following Locations:

Amazon / IndieBound / B&N / The Book Depository

Obligatory legal statement: This digital review copy was provided to me free of charge by the publisher via Edelweiss. No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this fair and unbiased review.

 

Review - God Save the Queen by Kate Locke

by Kate Locke
publisher: Orbit
date of publication: July 3, 2012
format: ARC
pages: 354
source: LibraryThing Early Reviewers

From Goodreads:

Queen Victoria rules with an immortal fist.

The undead matriarch of a Britain where the Aristocracy is made up of werewolves and vampires, where goblins live underground and mothers know better than to let their children out after dark. A world where being nobility means being infected with the Plague (side-effects include undeath), Hysteria is the popular affliction of the day, and leeches are considered a delicacy. And a world where technology lives side by side with magic. The year is 2012 and Pax Britannia still reigns.

Xandra Vardan is a member of the elite Royal Guard, and it is her duty to protect the Aristocracy. But when her sister goes missing, Xandra will set out on a path that undermines everything she believed in and uncover a conspiracy that threatens to topple the empire. And she is the key-the prize in a very dangerous struggle.

 

Having been a fan of other works by Kate Locke (in the persona of Kady Cross), I was very much looking forward to God Save the Queen in spite of my continuing disinterest in vampire stories (the burn out continues).  In many ways, God Save the Queen was as I expected.  In the areas of world building and plot, this book was right up my alley.  There were, however, things that just didn't work for me.  Both sides of the coin will be covered in this review and I will tell you all about why I was left on the fence about continuing with this series.

Xandra Vardan as a main character left me feeling conflicted.  On the one hand, she's spunky, determined, and capable of much butt-kicking.  What's not to love, you may ask?  For me, the dislike comes in due to Xandra's voice.  I get that the story takes place in London, thus there is bound to be some English slang used.  However, for much of the book it just felt like overkill.  When it gets to the point that one feels intense exasperation every time the main character speaks, that says something.  So far as the remaining cast of characters goes, however, I very much enjoyed the variety (vampires, werewolves, goblins, and humans) and the wide array of personalities.  It definitely helped make up for a not-so-appealing MC.

The world building is probably the most well-done aspect of this book.  While I hesitate to dub God Save the Queen full-on steampunk, it definitely had lovely flourishes of steampunk goodness.  Instead, it has a distinctly urban fantasy feel that worked great with the high level of action and the background for how this world came to be.  I especially enjoyed the sublevels of London where the goblins hold court.  Overall, this is a gritty, dangerous world where you can never quite guess what will happen next.

While I didn't hate God Save the Queen, I also failed to completely win me over.  After following this first installment of Xandra's story, I am unsure as to whether or not I can bring myself to pick up the second book.  While I liked where the story was headed at the very end, I just can't tell if it will continue along the same vein.  I will continue to keep an ear out for others' opinions and decide as I hear more about where things are headed and whether or not the copious use of slang subsides.

Buy God Save the Queen at the Following Locations:

Amazon / IndieBound / B&N / The Book Depository

Obligatory legal statement: This advance review copy was provided to me free of charge by the publisher via LibraryThing Early Reviewers. No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this fair and unbiased review.

Review - Fathomless

by Jackson Pearce
publisher: Little, Brown & Co. BFYR
date of publication: September 4, 2012
format: hardcover
pages: 304
source: from the publisher for review

From Goodreads:

Celia Reynolds is the youngest in a set of triplets and the one with the least valuable power. Anne can see the future, and Jane can see the present, but all Celia can see is the past. And the past seems so insignificant -- until Celia meets Lo.

Lo doesn't know who she is. Or who she was. Once a human, she is now almost entirely a creature of the sea -- a nymph, an ocean girl, a mermaid -- all terms too pretty for the soulless monster she knows she's becoming. Lo clings to shreds of her former self, fighting to remember her past, even as she's tempted to embrace her dark immortality.

When a handsome boy named Jude falls off a pier and into the ocean, Celia and Lo work together to rescue him from the waves. The two form a friendship, but soon they find themselves competing for Jude's affection. Lo wants more than that, though. According to the ocean girls, there's only one way for Lo to earn back her humanity. She must persuade a mortal to love her . . . and steal his soul.

Ever since I read the very first of Jackson Pearce's fairy tale re-tellings, Sisters Red, I have been a big fan of her characters, settings, and her approach to the werewolf concept.  At the end of Sweetly, I was dying to find out what would happen next.  The ending of Sweetly hinted at so many great story elements that I was eager to continue on into the next part of the story.  When Fathomless arrived at my door, I was happy about the prospect of finally continuing that journey.  What I expected and what I found, however, did not exactly mesh this time around, and I found myself left with feelings equaling much less than enthusiasm.

At first the Reynolds twins prove to be an intriguing set of characters due to their abilities and their dynamic as triplets.  When the full extend of Celia's differences come to light, there is more interest and the potential for an engrossing narrative.  However, I found myself struggling to fully connect with Celia.  I wouldn't necessarily say that she strikes me as a push-over, but neither does she exhibit much by way of personal strengths.  Even her struggles with her untruths didn't provide as much development as I would have hoped.  I found Lo, the other MC, to be far more intriguing as she struggled to maintain her grasp on humanity and to uncover the truth behind her past.  With Lo, you know you are faced with a wonderfully dynamic character, thus leaving her chapters amongst my favorites throughout the entirety of the book.

As was hinted in Sweetly, the concept behind Fathomless was everything I hoped it would be.  The mermaids Lo lives amongst are such an alien group even given their human shape.  They may not have fish tails, but they are still very obviously not human.  Everything from their behavior to bluish skin hints at their lack of any shreds of humanity.  With the exception of Lo and a few others, none know who they once were, nor do they care.  It all made for an exceptional approach to the concept of mermaids and one I was very glad to see.

Though Fathomless didn't ring my bell as much as Sisters Red and Sweetly, there was still much to enjoy about the book.  When it comes to Lo and the nature of mermaids, there is so much to discover and ponder.  If you enjoy fairy tale adaptations and re-tellings, Fathomless is very much worth your time.  Even though I didn't enjoy this particular set of Reynolds siblings as much as those that appeared in the previous books, they did lend a continuity that made for a nice touch to the series overall.  If you are looking for a mermaid story with a darker slant, Fathomless just may be the book you are looking for.

Buy Fathomless at the Following Locations:

Amazon / IndieBound / B&N / The Book Depository

Obligatory legal statement: This digital review copy was provided to me free of charge by the publisher. No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this fair and unbiased review.

Review - Once

by Anna Carey
publisher: HarperTeen
date of publication: July 3, 2012
format: digital review copy
pages:
source: Edelweiss

From Goodreads:

When you're being hunted, who can you trust?

For the first time since she escaped from her school many months ago, Eve can sleep soundly. She's living in Califia, a haven for women, protected from the terrifying fate that awaits orphaned girls in The New America.

But her safety came at a price: She was forced to abandon Caleb, the boy she loves, wounded and alone at the city gates. When Eve gets word that Caleb is in trouble, she sets out into the wild again to rescue him, only to be captured and brought to the City of Sand, the capital of The New America.

Trapped inside the City walls, Eve uncovers a shocking secret about her past--and is forced to confront the harsh reality of her future. When she discovers Caleb is alive, Eve attempts to flee her prison so they can be together--but the consequences could be deadly. She must make a desperate choice to save the ones she loves . . . or risk losing Caleb forever.

In this breathless sequel to "Eve," Anna Carey returns to her tale of romance, adventure, and sacrifice in a world that is both wonderfully strange and chillingly familiar.

After my experience with Eve, I wasn't so confident heading into Once that I would enjoy it. However, after Eve's ending, I felt that there was still a chance that the story would turn into something I could really enjoy. It also takes a lot for me to abandon a series after just the first book. Fortunately, Once managed to capture my interest more firmly than Eve did, so I was more able to enjoy the story this time around. Thanks to an unexpected plot twist and some harrowing events, Once has a storyline that I can appreciate.

Eve has grown as a character since the events at the end of the first book. She has become more self-sufficient, though she is still prone to impulsive decision-making. This habit of hers still gets her into plenty of trouble, which is readily apparent even near the beginning of the book. Gone, however, is the girl who obsesses over what her old teachers would think of her actions. She has embraced how she feels for Caleb and finally understands just what it is the king has done to the country. You have to admire her for the lengths she is willing to go to in order to help those who are most at his mercy. I just wish she could be the type of female MC who uses common sense every once in a while. Eve still managed to drive me a bit batty in Once, just not quite as much as she did in Eve.

In Once, we get the chance to visit not one, but two new settings: Califia and the City of Sand. The differences between the two are so drastic that it is easy to see just how corrupt the king is, as if there was any doubt before. The pacing is much more even this time, which makes the chain of events easy to follow. All in all, the story-building was better this time around, so there wasn't as much to distract me from the plot. The ending had great tension and left me wanting to know what would happen next.

While the Eve series still doesn't appear amongst my favorites, I was sufficiently entertained by the story and interested in how Once ends. I probably won't make up my mind entirely until I've read the full trilogy. There are some things that I would like to see happen in Rise as far as Eve's character goes. The story is moving right along and I'm starting to get a better sense of how the world works in this series. I hope to learn more about the citizens of the City of Sand and I am especially curious as to whether the king will get his comeuppance. I'll be staying tuned until then.

Buy Once at the Following Locations:

Amazon /  IndieBound  /  B&N  /  The Book Depository

Obligatory legal statement: This digital review copy was provided to me free of charge by the publisher via Edelweiss. No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this fair and unbiased review.

Review - Arise

by Tara Hudson
publisher: HarperTeen
date of publication: June 5, 2012
format: digital review copy
pages: 246
source: Edelweiss


From Goodreads:

Amelia—still caught between life and death—must fight for every moment of her relationship with the human boy Joshua. They can hardly even kiss without Amelia accidentally dematerializing. Looking for answers, they go to visit some of Joshua’s Seer relatives in New Orleans. But even in a city so famously steeped in the supernatural, Amelia ends up with more questions than answers…and becomes increasingly convinced that she and Joshua can never have a future together.Wandering through the French Quarter, Amelia meets other in-between ghosts, and begins to seriously consider joining them. And then she meets Gabrielle. Somehow, against impossible odds, Gaby has found a way to live a sort of half-life...a half-life for which Amelia would pay any price. Torn between two worlds, Amelia must choose carefully, before the evil spirits of the netherworld choose for her.

Even though weeks have passed, Amelia is still in much the same situation as before.  Struggling to keep her relationship with Joshua going and trying to figure out the cause of her random dematerializations is a lot for one ghost girl to handle!  When Amelia tags along to Joshua to his family's Christmas celebration in New Orleans, she finds a surprise waiting for her, one that could mean big changes for Amelia.  All is not as it seems, however.  There is yet another threat that could put both herself and Joshua in danger and provide the demons with something they will stop at nothing to possess: Amelia.

When I read Hereafter, I completely flipped over Amelia and her story.  I enjoyed everything from her voice to her background.  For some reason, however, I wasn't quite feeling it this time around.  I don't know if it was her reticence about her relationship with Joshua or her wishy-washy attitude over what needed to be done in the face of certain danger, but I just could not get into Amelia's story in Arise as well as I did in Hereafter.  I did enjoy the new characters that were introduced, however.  I was especially intrigued by Gaby and wish she had come into the story a little sooner.  She helped bring back the some of the spark that made Hereafter such a fun read for me last year.

I really enjoyed that there was a change of setting for Arise.  The extra feeling of mystery that was added by its new New Orleans setting made Arise a fun book to read so far as scenery goes.  I have to say, though, that I felt as though the pace lagged a little bit and I found myself getting distracted while reading, something I wouldn't expect from a book set in one of my favorite literary settings.  The descriptions were very well rendered, though, and I have no complaints about the ways in which the atmosphere was portrayed.

My reaction to Arise really surprised me.  Knowing how much I had enjoyed Hereafter, I was expecting to be blown away once again.  Unfortunately, it just didn't quite happen for me.  While I enjoyed the premise, there were a couple of snags that kept me from getting completely lost in the story.  I definitely plan to continue with the series, however, as the ending left me with the impression that there are amazing things to come in book 3.  Overall, I liked Arise, but I just didn't fall head over heels in love with it.

Buy Arise at the Following Locations:

Amazon / IndieBound / B&N / The Book Depository

Obligatory legal statement: This digital review copy was provided to me free of charge by the publisher via Edelweiss. No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this fair and unbiased review.

Review - The Vicious Deep

by Zoraida Cordova
publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
date of publication: May 1, 2012
format: hardcover
pages: 384
source: Southern Book Blogger ARC Tours
read it in: 2 days

From Goodreads :

For Tristan Hart, everything changes with one crashing wave.

He was gone for three days. Sucked out to sea in a tidal wave and spit back ashore at Coney Island with no memory of what happened. Now his dreams are haunted by a terrifying silver mermaid with razor-sharp teeth.

His best friend Layla is convinced something is wrong. But how can he explain he can sense emotion like never before? How can he explain he’s heir to a kingdom he never knew existed? That he’s suddenly a pawn in a battle as ancient as the gods.

Something happened to him in those three days. He was claimed by the sea…and now it wants him back.

Tristan Hart has managed to make a name for himself amongst the girls at his school as a womanizer and, to some, a jerk.  Things are about to change, however, when he is washed out to sea by a freak tidal wave.  When he is found laying upon the beach by his best friend, it is with the realization that he can't quite remember what happened to him and that his feelings for his friend are growing stronger.  There's another problem, however: he was missing for 3 days and no other survivors have been found.  As if that weren't enough, he's beginning to change.  Can Tristan hold the remaining shreds of his life as he knows it together, all the while trying to stop a force that could bring the world to its knees?

I know that Tristan is supposed to be something of a jerk in the process of reforming.  I get that.  However, while I did have problems becoming interested in him as a main character, he isn't the only character that I found myself supremely annoyed by.  I'm just going to say it plainly: Layla drove me absolutely batty!  Sure, her attitude toward Tristan is often warranted, but there are other moments that left me wondering just what was supposed to be so appealing about this girl.  It was all so over-the-top that it became more of a distraction than anything.  I found myself more drawn to Tristan's parents and "cousins" than either Tristan, himself, or Layla.  Neither were exactly my cup of tea.

The settings were much more appealing, as they were written with great attention to detail and no small amount of imagination.  Even if I didn't enjoy the primary character and his best friend, I did enjoy the adventure he set out on.  The villains were threatening and ensured that the story had the level of urgency needed to warrant the troubles Tristan encounters and the tasks he is set are intriguing.  The plot did hit a few snags that left me confused, but it did manage to bounce back and catch me up to speed.  Over all, the story's progression was a good one and I enjoyed the quest aspect more than I would have expected initially.

The Vicious Deep may not have resonated with me as much as I had hoped it would, but I did see the potential in the story by the end of the book.  Having been the first mermaid (merman?) story I had read in quite a while, it did rekindle my interest in the subject, which is always a nice touch.  I will keep an open mind about the next book in the series, but I know that I have some hopes for things I would like to see in it.  It is my hope that I can become more attuned to the characters in the future and that the plot keeps intensifying.  I'll be waiting to see where the story goes from here.

Buy The Vicious Deep at the Following Locations:

Amazon / IndieBound / B&N / The Book Depository 

Obligatory legal statement: This ARC was provided to me free of charge by the publisher via Southern Book Blogger ARC Tours. No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this fair and unbiased review.

Review - The Hunt

by Andrew Fukuda
publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
date of publication: May 8, 2012
format: digital review copy
pages: 293
source: Netgalley
read it in: 4 days

From Goodreads:

Don’t Sweat.  Don’t Laugh.  Don’t draw attention to yourself.  And most of all, whatever you do, do not fall in love with one of them.

Gene is different from everyone else around him.  He can’t run with lightning speed, sunlight doesn’t hurt him and he doesn’t have an unquenchable lust for blood.  Gene is a human, and he knows the rules.  Keep the truth a secret.  It’s the only way to stay alive in a world of night—a world where humans are considered a delicacy and hunted for their blood.

When he’s chosen for a once in a lifetime opportunity to hunt the last remaining humans, Gene’s carefully constructed life begins to crumble around him.  He’s thrust into the path of a girl who makes him feel things he never thought possible—and into a ruthless pack of hunters whose suspicions about his true nature are growing. Now that Gene has finally found something worth fighting for, his need to survive is stronger than ever—but is it worth the cost of his humanity?

What do you do when you're prey in the middle of a city of predators?  Gene is a boy in just this type of situation.  As one of the few remaining humans in a world overrun with vampire-like beings who would tear him limb-from-limb if even a hint of his humanity was to be found out, Gene has all but annihilated all clues as to his true nature.  All of his carefully executed cleaning rituals are about to become all the more important, however, for Gene has been selected to take part in The Hunt.  If Gene fails to keep his true identity a secret, he faces the possibility of becoming an addition to the quarry selected for the slaughter... human beings.

Gene is a somewhat difficult character to figure out.  He spends much of the story worrying about keeping himself from gaining unwanted attention by hiding everything from his scent to the true extent of his intelligence.  However, while he knows he is human, he still seems to throw his lot in with the monsters surrounding him by using pronouns such as "we" and "us" in relation to them.  At times, I wondered as to whether or not he wanted his humanity.  It seemed as though it was more of an inconvenience to him, which made fully connecting to him as a character difficult.  Even when I figured out the nature of the creatures around him, I still didn't quite know what to make of Gene.  It remains a puzzle even now.

While the storyline and action found within The Hunt is riveting, the world in which Gene lives is just as confusing as Gene, himself.  There is little rhyme or reason to why things are the way they are.  There is no hint as to when the populace ceased to be human and became ravening monsters, nor is there any explanation as to how it came to be.  As a reader I like to be filled in on the origin of a book's setting.  I just didn't get that with The Hunt.  Instead, I was left to conjecture how it all came to be as I interpreted the nature of the monsters and the ways in which they operate.  I found myself the most disappointed by this aspect of the book.  I would have loved a few clues as to the history of this horrific world.  Instead, I was left with an inordinate amount of questions.

The Hunt has both its good points and its less than stellar points.  Amongst my favorite elements were the intriguing premise and the riveting action sequences.  My least favorite aspects of The Hunt come from its enigma of a main character and history deficient world-building.  As a story of the vampire variety, however, it is fresh and out of the ordinary.  If you are interested in a story surrounding a truly horrific race of vampires, The Hunt is a good choice.  It has some truly chilling moments that will leave you thinking of the days when vampires were meant to be frightening.  These certainly are! 

Buy The Hunt at the Following Locations:

Amazon / IndieBound / B&N / The Book Depository

Obligatory legal statement: This digital review copy was provided to me free of charge by the publisher via Netgalley. No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this fair and unbiased review.

Review - Kill Me Softly

by Sarah Cross
publisher: Egmont USA
date of publication: April 10, 2012
format: digital review copy
pages: 331
source: Netgalley
read it in: 3 days

From Goodreads:

Mirabelle's past is shrouded in secrecy, from her parents' tragic deaths to her guardians' half-truths about why she can't return to her birthplace, Beau Rivage. Desperate to see the town, Mira runs away a week before her sixteenth birthday—and discovers a world she never could have imagined.

In Beau Rivage, nothing is what it seems—the strangely pale girl with a morbid interest in apples, the obnoxious playboy who's a beast to everyone he meets, and the chivalrous guy who has a thing for damsels in distress. Here, fairy tales come to life, curses are awakened, and ancient stories are played out again and again.

But fairy tales aren't pretty things, and they don't always end in happily ever after. Mira has a role to play, a fairy tale destiny to embrace or resist. As she struggles to take control of her fate, Mira is drawn into the lives of two brothers with fairy tale curses of their own... brothers who share a dark secret. And she'll find that love, just like fairy tales, can have sharp edges and hidden thorns.

I am a huge fan of fairytales and fairytale re-tellings, so when I heard about Kill Me Softly, I knew I had to read it as soon as I possibly could.  The depiction of the darker side of fairytales is something that I greatly appreciate, so I was all the more enthusiastic about this book due to the darkness alluded to in the description.  While there was a sinister undertone that would have made the Brother's Grimm proud, Kill Me Softly definitely brought more to the table, some great, some not so good.  While the plot was a great aspect of the book, some of the characters provided me with some difficulty while reading.  As a result, the story ran both hot and cold at various points throughout the book.

Mira was, quite possibly, one of the most difficult parts of the story for me.  While I understand that no one is perfect and, thus, Mira is not perfect, her sheer stubbornness and ridiculously bad case of naivete drove me absolutely bonkers.  Her reaction to her surroundings and situation did not always strike me as viable, which made my reading experience very frustrating.  Even though Blue is supposed to be the more obnoxious character, I much preferred him and wish more of the story had been from his point-of-view.  Though it comes down to personal preferences in the end, my reaction to the main character in this story is one of frustration and disappointment.

The plot is where my true appreciation lies.  I love the idea of a world hidden in plain view where fairytale figures walk the streets and destiny is appointed by fairies.  The concept of fairytale curses that each have a distinct characteristic is even more fascinating and I was left with even more appreciation for the ways in which the plot was developed.  The pacing was somewhat choppy, but the progression of the plot was a good one.  Overall, plot is definitely the strongest suit for Kill Me Softly.

In spite of my ambivalence, Kill Me Softly was an intriguing read that does a great job at providing a new way to view traditional fairytales.  A fairytale re-telling that brings something new to the table is something to be sought and given its fair share of attention.  Even though I didn't enjoy the main character as much as I had hoped, the story that makes up the book is an imaginative and entertaining one.  If you appreciate traditional fairytales, you will want to take a look at Kill Me Softly.  Thanks to its incorporation of these tales in such a new and unique way, Kill Me Softly is an entertaining read that will leave you pondering new ways in which you can view fairytales.

Buy Kill Me Softly at the Following Locations:

Amazon / IndieBound / B&N / The Book Depository

Obligatory legal statement: This eGalley was provided to me free of charge by the publisher via Netgalley. No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this fair and unbiased review.

Review - The Selection

by Kiera Cass
publisher: HarperTeen
date of publication: April 24, 2012
format: ARC
pages: 327
source: DAC ARC Tours
read it in: 2 days

From Goodreads:

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in the palace and compete for the heart of the gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself- and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

The Selection is a book that I approached with much trepidation.  There has been some controversy surrounding it, but the description sounded interesting.  I decided to just go for it, that way I could develop my own opinion on it.  Now that I've read it, I am glad that I did.  I did enjoy the book, though there were some things about the story that I didn't find to be appealing. 

The characters that make up The Selection left me with much to think about.  I vacillated between liking America and wishing she would buck up just a bit more.  I couldn't get a good grasp as to who exactly America is and what she wants out of her life.  I also questioned her attraction to Aspen, who I found to be so ridiculously chauvinistic in his need to be capable of providing for America.  Maxon is somewhat better, though I had trouble taking him seriously at times.  When all was said and done, the characters left me feeling confused and often frustrated.

The plot was much more interesting to me as a reader.  The state of the world was fascinating to read about and the Selection process was both strange and interesting.  I would have liked to know more about the circumstances surrounding the founding of Illea and the adoption of the caste system, but the information that was provided was enough to grab my curiosity and attention.  I was, for the most part, entertained and would definitely consider continuing with the series.  I think that there is definitely room for the story to develop more.

The Selection required more rumination than usual, as I just didn't know how I felt about its characters.  I can say, however, that it could turn into a really interesting series, so I will be looking out for the next installment.  I hope to see more world development and more decisive characters in the next go-round.  The Selection lays the foundation for what could be a fun series and I will definitely look out for the next book.  Hopefully it will help the storyline grow and develop into an even more compelling plot.

    

Buy The Selection at the Following Locations:

Amazon / IndieBound / B&N / The Book Depository

Obligatory legal statement: This ARC was provided to me free of charge by the publisher via Debut Author Challenge ARC Tours. No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this fair and unbiased review.

Review - Glimmer

by Phoebe Kitanidis
publisher: Balzer + Bray
date of publication: April 17, 2012
format: ARC
pages: 352
source: SBB ARC Tours
Amazon / IndieBound / B&N / The Book Depository

From Goodreads:

What if you forgot your identity and had to rely on other people to tell you who you were?

And what if to discover your true self, you first had to unravel a mystery so big and terrifying you were not sure you’d survive solving it?

When Marshall and Elyse wake up in each other’s arms with zero memory of how they got there or who they are, it’s the start of a long journey through their separate pasts and shared future.

Terrified by their amnesia, the two make a pact to work together to find the answers that could jog their missing memories. As they piece together clues, they discover they’re in the idyllic mountain resort town of Summer Falls, where everyone seems mysteriously happy, but as Marshall and Elyse quickly learn, darkness lurks beneath the town’s perfect facade. Not only is the town haunted by sinister ghosts, but none of its living inhabitants retain bad memories of anything—not the death of Marshall’s mom, not the hidden shame in Elyse’s family, not even the day-to-day anguish of high school.

Lonely in this world of happy zombies, Marsh and Elyse fall into an intense relationship...but the secrets they uncover could be the death of this growing love—and the death of everyone, and everything, they love in Summer Falls.

Glimmer first piqued my interest when I read the plot description on the Southern Book Bloggers site.  As it was coming up for an ARC tour, I signed up and anticipated an interesting read.  After all, I am a huge fan of ghost stories, so a town overrun by "sinister ghosts" and residents with a Stepford-like quality sounded too good to miss.  However, what you see isn't always what you get.  While the above-mentioned elements do make up a sizable chunk of the story, there is also a number of quirks that made Glimmer somewhat confusing to read.

When we are first introduced to Elyse and Marshall, they are in a very unusual predicament.  The two wake up naked, in bed together, and with absolutely no memory of who they are or how they got there.  From that point on, these two are one big bundle of confusion and accusation as they set out to figure out who and where they are.  Whether due to the nature of their situation or some other reason, I found these two characters to be very difficult to connect with.  I vacillated between liking and disliking the both of them, which made the reading experience less smooth than I would have liked.

The premise is a very interesting one.  I definitely agree with the description of sinister for the ghosts.  Their habit of appearing out of nowhere and smiling maniacally as they try to catch various people succeeded in giving me the creeps.  Also, the town itself was surprisingly sinister in its own right.  Things might appear to be happy and idyllic, but there are some seriously odd things going on in Summer Falls.  I enjoyed the plot the most out of all the elements in Glimmer.

Glimmer had both good points and bad points for me.  Among the good points were the great setting and plot.  They really made for a unique and enjoyable read.  My main point of contention lies with the main characters.  They both ran very hot and cold and I found myself having a difficult time gaining a lock on them.  This added a level of detachment that was detrimental to the reading experience.  Overall, however, I enjoyed the book.  If you enjoy ghosts in your reading choices and are looking for a new approach to them, pick this one up!

Obligatory legal statement: This ARC was provided to me free of charge by the publisher via Southern Book Blogger ARC Tours. No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this fair and unbiased review.

Review - The Academie

by Susanne Dunlap
publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's
date of publication: February 28, 2012
format: eGalley
pages: 368
source: Netgalley
Amazon / IndieBound / B&N / The Book Depository

From Goodreads:

Eliza Monroe-daughter of the future president of the United States-is devastated when her mother decides to send her to boarding school outside of Paris. But the young American teen is quickly reconciled to the idea when-ooh, la-la!-she discovers who her fellow pupils will be: Hortense de Beauharnais, daughter of Josephine Bonaparte; and Caroline Bonaparte, youngest sister of the famous French general. It doesn't take long for Eliza to figure out that the two French girls are mortal enemies—and that she's about to get caught in the middle of their schemes.

Loosely drawn from history, Eliza Monroe's imagined coming of age provides a scintillating glimpse into the lives, loves, and hopes of three young women during one of the most volatile periods in French history.

What I Thought

Having long been fascinated by Paris as a literary setting, I pounced upon the chance to read The Académie, as I enjoy both the particular point in history during which the story takes place and the little intrigues likely to take place in such a novel.  This novel held many high points, as well as low points that made it fall a little short of expectations.  However, as I will explain, it made for an interesting read that was able to fully arrest my attention in the end.

The Académie is told from the perspective of 3 girls, though perhaps not the 3 girls you might think.  We are initially introduced to Eliza, a snobby, naive girl who is placed in the boarding school in which both the stepdaughter and younger sister of Napoleon Bonaparte attend.  Initially, I found Eliza to be purely obnoxious.  Her attitude toward many things were grating and she wasn't very likeable, at first.  However, as she began to go through certain changes, she became much more enjoyable.  I must say, however, that there was a downside to this, as well.  It almost felt as though there was a fourth character thanks to the dramatic shift in attitude, which did throw me for a bit of a loop.  The second narrator, Hortense, quickly became my favorite of the 3 narrators, as she had a certain level of sweetness, yet was not perfect.  She became the most believable character of the 3 and, as such, was much more engaging.  The third narrator, an actress by the name of Madeleine with an unexpected tie to Hortense, was also somewhat inconsistent, though it works very well thanks to her background and situation in life.  Overall, the 3 narrators provided a varied, yet somewhat halting story full of intrigue and much misfortune.

The pacing that took place throughout The Académie was somewhat difficult to keep up with.  At first, there is a certain amount of boredom involved with Eliza's initial narration.  The scene is not set very well and the descriptions of daily life just wasn't very compelling.  However, the story did pick up and become very engaging, though there was a certain amount of choppiness.  If I had to pick one word to describe the pacing, that word would be "turbulent."  It was definitely very jarring and I found myself hard-pressed to keep my attention from wandering, at times.  The jewel in this story is the setting.  The attention to detail paid by Ms. Dunlap as to the girls' surroundings was very well done and made imagining everything very easy to accomplish.

While The Académie may not have been my favorite historical YA novel ever, it was still a fun read that combined an appropriated account of post-revolutionary France and teenage whimsy.  If you go into the book prepared for a semi-fictional account of the lives of Eliza, Hortense, and Caroline and with the understanding that the pacing may require particular attention at times, you will likely find it to be enjoyable.  Fans of historically-based fiction may enjoy this book.  Due to the uneven nature of the book's construction, I rate The Académie at 3 hoots.

    
 Obligatory legal statement: This eGalley was provided to me free of charge by the publisher via Netgalley. No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this fair and unbiased review.

Review - The Goddess Test

by Aimee Carter
publisher: Harlequin Teen
date of publication: May 1, 2011 (first published April 19, 2011)
format: ebook
pages: 216
source: purchased
Amazon / IndieBound / B&N / The Book Depository

From Goodreads:

It's always been just Kate and her mom—and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won't live past the fall.

Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld—and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.

Kate is sure he's crazy—until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride, and a goddess.

What I Thought

At long last I finally read The Goddess Test after struggling with much trepidation.  I was concerned about a few opinions I initially heard about the book, but after being reassured by a friend, I bought a copy and gave it a go.  I was happy to find that my concerns were unfounded.  Though The Goddess Test contained a few minor details that didn't really sit right with me, it ended up being a quick, fun read with a lot of imagination and an intriguing mystery.

I found Kate to be a fairly decent character.  Though she has a lot to deal with for one so young, she manages to be a pretty well-balanced protagonist.  I found myself responding well to her moral make-up and straight-forward manner.  The only thing about Kate that bothered me was the seemingly rapid change in her feelings toward Henry.  The transition from frustration and anger to love and devotion was a little to whiplash-inducing for my liking.  Likewise, the development of Henry's feelings for Kate left me feeling as though I had missed something.  I did, however, enjoy trying to guess which character corresponded with which Olympian.  Some were relatively easy while others took me completely by surprise.  It definitely added a level of interactivity to the novel.

The pacing of The Goddess Test was great.  It moved along at a nice pace and made the reading experience go very smoothly.  That the book includes the Persephone myth made for a very appealing aspect that I, myself, loved.  Aimee Carter took just enough artistic license with the myth to put a fresh spin on it, which I very much appreciated.  Overall, the style in which the book was written was probably my favorite aspect of the reading experience.

When all was said and done, I had a lot of fun reading The Goddess Test.  It was perfect for a fast, light weekend read.  The incorporation of Greek mythology was well done and the character interactions were, for the most part, easy to read and the guessing game aspect was a lot of fun.  Add in the threat of a would-be murderer and you have quite the read.  If you're looking for a fun read that will whisk you away for a little while, try The Goddess Test.  I am definitely looking forward to seeing what direction is taken in Goddess Interrupted.  I definitely thing the series has room to grow, so I have decided upon a rating of 3 hoots.